Friday, 25 April 2014

Review: Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow

Hi lovelies,
I have my first review for you guys today!

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation has been raved about on many blogs and I thought I'd put my opinion out there as well. I've had this foundation for well over a month now so I think I've had it long enough to really see how it performs.

Benefit claims that this foundation builds from light to medium coverage to brighten the complexion and give a flawless and natural finish. It has SPF 25 and contains 30ml of product.

I was colour matched to the shade "believe in me Ivory" which is the palest shade for pink based skin tones. This shade isn't a perfect match for me unfortunately as I am very pale but I actually don't mind this! I feel that (as long as it is blended properly!) it gives me a nice glow that my tippex-like skin usually lacks. If your skin tone is paler than mine however (which would almost certainly mean that you are transparent as I really am the palest of the pale), you may struggle to make this foundation work for you.

You can see yourself from the swatches what kind of coverage you think the foundation gives but I agree with Benefit's claim that this is a light-medium coverage foundation and can be built up for a higher coverage if you wish. I really like this coverage as it allows for a nice natural looking finish whilst still covering up any uneven skin tone. I had previously used MAC's Studio Fix Fluid which I found could look too heavy sometimes. I still need concealer obviously for under the eyes & other imperfections & need to powder throughout the day due to my oily T zone. I find that this product lasts really well throughout the day & I've never needed to reapply once I've set it with powder. I also agree with the claim that it is a brightening foundation as I really do feel that it gives the skin a lovely glow. It's also oil free which is ideal for my combination/oily skin as it means I don't look like I've dipped my face in a tub of grease by the end of the day! I find that a little goes a long way with this foundation; one pump is usually enough to cover my whole face.

I really like the design of the bottle for this foundation. It has a pump which is always a plus as it saves unneccessary waste & I love the fact that you can see exactly how much foundation you have left, so you will always know when you are running low. Also, I'm not sure if you can see this from the picture but the actual bottom part of where the foundation is stored in the bottle moves up as the product is used up which means there's no product left around the bottom & sides of the bottle that the pump can't pick up.

As far as value for money is concerned, I really do think that this product is worth the money (although when I bought it I'm certain it was £25.50 so I don't know why they have increased the price?). As I said, I've had this foundation for over a month & going on how much I've used so far, I can see it lasting at least another 3-4 months. So judging by the quality of the product & the amount of time it will last, I do think it's worth the rather expensive price tag. However, I do love a bargain so if anybody knows of any cheaper dupes then please let me know!

Overall, I'm really impressed with this foundation & would definitely reccomend it! I think it's great for Summer as it is of a slightly lighter coverage, has SPF & really brightens the complexion, so it's perfect for dull skin tones. There's a strong likelihood that I'll repurchase this when I run out, however I've had my eye on NAR's Sheer Glow for a while, so I may give that a go next if my funds allow it. The only downside to this product is that if you're very pale then you may struggle to make the colour work for you, but a simple way to check is to head to a Benefit counter to get a colour match & see what you think! Have you tried Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow? What do you think of it?